Flying cars have been invented which successfully achieve both objectives of flying and driving. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,938,358 to the present inventor and owned by Terrafugia, Inc. discloses a flying and driving vehicle that includes a foldable main wing mounted to a fuselage using a sophisticated folding mechanism and separate propulsion systems for driving and for flying. U.S. Pat. No. 7,857,253 describes a ducted-fan vehicle capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), but it is unable to drive legally on roads. While U.S. Pat. No. 8,162,253 purports to describe a vehicle for the road, the air, and water that is VTOL capable, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the complexity of the design and the aerodynamic issues expected to be caused by the design to present significant challenges.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a vehicle that is capable of legally operating on a roadway surface, of VTOL-type flying, and of fixed wing cruise. This is particularly important in highly regulated industries such as the aviation and automotive industries, as new vehicle inventions have much greater value if they can be made to work within the existing regulatory structure.